This invention relates to electrode-active material for both primary and secondary batteries and to the preparation thereof. It has been determined that solid state crystal defects and imperfections are needed to meet the material requirements of electrochemically-active battery plate material either in primary batteries or in secondary batteries. The electrode-active material of the invention is applicable for ambient temperature, sub-zero temperature or high temperature operational batteries and is also applicable to cathode or anode plates made of the electrode-active material in contact with aqueous electrolytes, non-aqueous electrolytes, molten salts or solid state electrolytes.
Although the design requirements for primary and secondary batteries are different, the electrode-active material of the present invention is applicable for either. The electrode-active materials of the present invention are thermodynamically reversible, having large capacities providing high utilization, have a high rate discharge capability, and exhibit durability during continued charge and discharge cycles. In choosing the electrode-active material, for a cathode the material should be an n-type conductor during the charge mode and a p-type conductor during the discharge mode while for an anode the electrode-active material should be a p-type conductor during the charge mode and an n-type conductor during the discharge mode.
The electrode-active material of the present invention envisions provision of crystal imperfections such as dislocations, point defects and others, thereby providing metal or negative ion vacancies in the electrode-active material to provide the enhanced characteristics required.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.